According to current trends, heavy duty diesel trucks are increasingly subject to legal restrictions, including restrictions regarding emissions and also regarding idling time. In some jurisdictions, legal restrictions may even require that such a truck be outfitted with controls for detecting idling and automatically shutting down the diesel engine after a certain maximum idling interval. Inventions disclosed in the related applications address issues arising from these legal restrictions. These inventions provide an improved arrangement for a vehicle, including a vehicle such as a heavy duty diesel engine truck, so the vehicle can be driven via an electric motor. One implication is that an existing, conventional vehicle may be more easily retrofitted for traction via electric motors. The inventions also provide an improved arrangement for cooling a vehicle via an independent power supply when the internal combustion engine (“ICE”) is shut off. The inventions also provide an improved arrangement for heating and convenience electrical outlets.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has set National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for six common air pollutants, also called “criteria” pollutants. The criteria pollutants are carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, ozone, lead, particulate matter and sulfur dioxide. NAAQS are often referred to as federal health standards for outdoor air.
The Clean Air Act, which was passed in 1970 and last amended in 1990, requires the EPA to set NAAQS for pollutants that cause adverse effects to public health and the environment. The Clean Air Act established primary and secondary air quality standards. Primary standards protect public health, including the health of “sensitive” populations such as asthmatics, children, and the elderly. The primary standard is often referred to as the health standard. Secondary standards protect public welfare, including protection against decreased visibility, damage to animals, crops, vegetation, and buildings. Standards are reviewed periodically to ensure that they include the most recent scientific information.
Non-attainment areas are regions within the country where the concentration of one or more criteria pollutants exceeds the level set as the federal air quality standards. Once the EPA announces that an area does not meet the health standard, the State works with businesses, local governments, and the public to reduce the emissions from sources contributing to the non-attainment status of the area.
The present invention involves a recognition that the related inventions present new opportunities for further innovation. For example, given the teachings of the related patent applications about integrating electrical operation with conventional ICE operation of a vehicle, heretofore unappreciated emissions reduction opportunities are presented. These emission reduction opportunities that are presented by electrical operation are particularly attractive for heavy duty diesel trucks and in connection with numerous contexts, including:
idling for long intervals, which may occur, for example, at rest stops,
alternating between idling and sporadically moving, which may occur, for example, while waiting at ports and other staging areas, and alternating episodically between operating at higher speeds and slower speeds, such as may occur when encountering traffic on streets and highways.
An electric motor and its power supply, which are independent of the vehicle's ICE, may be insufficient for operation at higher speeds. Thus, when operational demands include higher speed driving, this gives rise to the need to episodically alternate between electric traction system (“ETS”) operation mode and ICE operation mode more frequently and while moving. However, even when the problem of episodic ETS/ICE operation mode switching and other problems associated with electrical operation for rest stop idling and for sporadic slow speed operation have been overcome, issues arise regarding incentives for use of the ETS operating mode. For example, a driver might not be sufficiently motivated to switch to the ETS operating mode, even though obstacles that may have previously prevented electrical operation have been overcome.
The present invention provides an onboard data acquisition device that communicates with a global positioning system (“GPS”) of the vehicle to provide an incentive for a driver to take advantage of opportunities to use ETS operating modes. In one embodiment the data acquisition device, in communication with the GPS and the control system of the vehicle, data is communicated to a remote device in order to advantageously obtain emission reduction credits in cooperation with a mechanism approved by a regulatory agency.
The details of one or more embodiments of the invention are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features, objects, and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims.
Like reference symbols in the various drawings indicate like elements.